1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates present invention relates to a wall-mounted microwave oven, and more particularly, to a wall-mounted microwave oven capable of opening and closing a louver in response to a hood switch.
2. Description of the Related Art
A microwave oven mounted above a gas oven or range includes two air ducts, such as a cavity duct for supplying outside air into a cavity, in which food to be cooked is placed, and a hood duct for providing a passageway of fumes and smoke generated from the gas range and passing through the microwave oven. Generally, a hood motor mounted in the hood duct draws the fumes and smoke into the hood duct and exhaust the fumes and smoke outside the hood duct of the microwave oven. Since the cavity duct is communicated with the hood duct, a vacuum state occurred inside the microwave oven causes the hood motor to be overloaded if the cavity duct is closed during the operation of the hood motor.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional wall-mounted microwave oven including a main body 3 having a rectangular cooking cavity 4 in which food to be cooked in placed, an outer case 6 enclosing main body 3, a door 7 opening and closing cooking cavity 4, and a control panel 5 controlling a cooking condition of the food. Over the door 7 and the control panel 5 are horizontally installed an elongated suction grill 27 along main body 3.
Outer case 6 includes an upper case 6a covering a top and sides of main body 3, and a lower case 6b coupled to a bottom of main body 3. Between upper case 6a and the top side of the main body 3 is formed a space providing an air passage of outside air drawn into cooking cavity 4 through elongated suction grill 27. A duct member 14 is installed at a rear portion of suction grill 27 within the space for guiding a flow of air drawn in through the suction grill 27. Within a space between either side of upper case 6a and main body 3 is formed a hood duct for providing a passage of moisture and fumes generated from the gas range mounted below the microwave oven and passing through the main body of the microwave wave.
Lower case 6b has a hood inlet port 8 for drawing the moisture and fumes into hood duct 15. A hood outlet port 9 for discharging the moisture and fumes drawn into hood duct 15 is formed on a top surface of upper case 6a. A hood fan 13 is installed on main body 3 adjacent to hood outlet port 9 of upper case 6a. While hood fan 13 operates, the moisture and fumes drawn into hood duct 15 through hood inlet port 8 are discharged outside through hood outlet port 9. A hood switch is installed within hood duct 15 and turns on when the inner temperature of hood duct 15 is higher than a predetermined temperature. The hood switch is usually formed with a thermostat using a bimetal, and hood fan 13 starts to operate when the hood switch turns on. The suction grill 27 includes a rectangular grill frame 26 installed in front of main body 3, a louver 25 rotatably installed at the front of grill frame 26 covering an opening of rectangular grill frame 26, and a louver driving device 20 for driving louver 25.
When the gas range operates, hot air containing the fumes and moisture spreads around hood duct 15 through hood inlet port 8, and the hood switch turns on when the internal temperature of hood duct 15 is higher than a predetermined temperature so as to allow hood fan 13 to operate automatically. When hood fan 13 operates, a control unit controls louver driving means 20 to rotate louver 25 for opening suction grill 27.
When the control unit does not operate in a normal manner, the operation of hood fan 13 cannot be detected by the control unit even if the inner temperature of hood duct 15 increases and if hood fan 13 starts to operate. Accordingly, louver 25 does not rotate to open suction grill 27, and the air is not drawn in through suction grill 27. Therefore, the space in which the duct member 14 is installed is vacuumized depending on the operation of hood fan 13, thereby overloading hood fan 13.